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Humble Indie Bundle 11 Review

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Review:

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is a platformer in which you play as two sisters, trapped in similar yet different worlds. One world is bright and vibrant with life, while the other is dead and haunted. Your goal is to reach the end of the level, but because of the obstacles in your way, you will have to switch between the sisters and warp between worlds. Sometimes this will remove the obstacle, as it does not exist in both worlds, or perhaps this sister has the ability to defeat the obstacle. One sister can jump and swirl in the air, allowing descent, while the other has an offensive dash, capable of killing enemies and breaking blocks.

Thus far I have found the platforming to be quite fun. The warping definitely impacts how you approach the game, but it never felt like it dominated the experience. You warp when necessary, but it otherwise does not intrude on the platforming, and I believe that is for the best.

The controls, game design and warping mechanic gives Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams an arcade feel to me. The soundtrack further reinforces that with its use of techno sounds, like what I would expect to emanate from a quarter-eating-cabinet. The controls, sadly in my opinion, reveal how much this game was designed for consoles. It was definitely more comfortable to pull out my controller than to use the keyboard. While I do not doubt one could play successfully on a keyboard, using a controller is likely just going to be more comfortable.

The graphics definitely pop with their detail and color-palettes. The warping mechanic fluidly transforms the frame from one world to the other in a rather pleasing way. That is not to say you would want to sit there, warping back and forth, but that it is enjoyable to see happen.

Does Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams make purchasing the bundle worth it? That is hard to say. It just does not stand out much to me. That is not to say it is a bad game. It is a good and enjoyable game, but just has not impressed me much. If you are looking for an arcade-y platformer though, then this could very possibly be the game for you.